Wheeled toy



July 16, 1946. R N 2,404,186

WHEELED TOY' Filed March 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l l ln.

\ IN VEN TOR. I ETFRJIAR/AIV/ BY i R MARIAN] V 2,404,186

WHEELED TOY Fiied March 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l h INVENTOR. fat-7E? MAR/A/V/ axle which carries a cam compact, ornamental in Patented July 16, 1946 UNITED "STATES PATENT oFFic WHEELED .TOY Peter Mariani, Thomaston, Gonn. ApplicationMarch 17, 1945, Serial No. 583,189

'10 Claims.

vide a wheeled toy of the above nature in which the seal figure comprises an upstanding block having fiat sides, mounted to roll upon the floor, the mounting including a pair of wheels and an engaging a collar on the lower end of the stick, upon the upper end of which the ball-is carried.

Another object is to provide a wheeled toy of the abovenature, in-which the collar on the lower end of the'stick is pressed downwardly by a spring to assist the action of gravity in returning the ball to its lowermost "positionas the stick is reciprocated.

friction as the latter is pulled 'acrossthe floor.

A further objectis to provide a wheeled toy of the above nature which will be simple in constructlon, automatic in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install appearance, and very eflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawings four forms in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawings,

Fig. '1 represents a front view, partly in section, of the wheeled toy embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, also shown partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View, taken. along the line 33 of Fig. 2 on a larger scale, looking downwardly in the direction of thearrows.

Rig. 4 .is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a modified form of cam and collar mechanism for reciprocating the ball-carrying stick.

Fig. 6 is a 'fragmenta-ry view, partly .in section, of amo'dified form of rear flipper andball wheel mounted therein.

"Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, partly insection, of another modified form of rear flipper having a vertical stud vmounted to swivel in the lower end of the figure body.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts .hroughout the several views, the numerals l0 and H indicate a pair of forward cylindrical wheels mounted to rotate upon an axle 1'2 and being spaced apart-by a pair of cylindrical.bushings l3, M which serve to hold the body 18 of the toy in centralized position.

The axle [2 has an elliptical plate cam 15 rigidly secured thereon eccentrically, said cam having an annular beveled section l6 and a fiat rim I1. The cam I5 is located within a recess :lla formed in the lower end of the body I 8 which comprises a vertical block with flat sides, as shown. The upper portion of the body i8 hasa section l9 representing the neck and head of a most clearly shown .in Fig.2.

and manipulate,

At the forwardend of the body block I8 is a depending section 2|, representing the forward flipper, which is splitto permit .the oval plate cam l5 to rotate therewithin. The body block I8 is also provided with a depending central rectangular bearing section 22 which is also split to embrace the cam I5.

In order to produce the efiect that aball is being balanced on the head of the seal-figure, provision is made within the interior of the block I8 of a vertical bore 23, rectangular in cross "section, within which is a vertical stick 24, preferably round in cross section. The stick 24 has a ball 25 rigidly .mounted upon its upper end and on its lower end has a rigid cylindrical collar '26 adapted to engage the beveled section It of the oval plate cam l5.

'Thebore 23 is open atone side to facilitate the insertion of the stick 24 and a pair of square said stick, permanently adjacent the top and bottom of said bore, respectively. The blocks 21, 28 are held frictionally within said bore .23 by means of a side vertical cover strip 29 secured to said blocks, and which is so arranged that the stick 2 will be maintained'substantially in vertical alignment with the axle l2below it.

In order to assist the action of gravity in returning the ball and stick to the lowermost position shown in Fig. '1, provision is made of a coiled spring '30 located between the'bottom block 28 and the collar 26, as shown in Fig. 1.

The rear flipper 2B of the block 18 is provided with asphericalrecess within which a small ball said ball being held 32 placed in front in position by a retaining strip of said ball, as shown in Fig. '2.

outer rim, which is adapted 6, instead of employing a to rotate in all directions, pr-,

' 40 mounted within are shown for the purpose specific disclosures,

' engaging with th 'rim stick to. reciprocate vertically and also to twist 3 The wheeled toy is adaptedto be pulled around upon the floor, or any other flat surface, by means of a cord-33 attached to aneye 34 secured to the top portion of the front flipper 2 I Operation 7 a rolling ball upon the end of the stick carried in its mouth.

In the second form of the invention'shown in Fig. 5, instead of employing a beveled cam, as in Figs. 1%4, a cam 35 is used having a horizontal to engage a collar 36 located on the lower end of the stick 24, which port mounted to swing about a vertical axis as 2. The inventionas defined in claim 1, in which said cam is provided with a beveled side section, and said stick has a cylindrical collar on its lower end.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which said cam is provided with a horizontal rim, and

said stick has a beveled collar for cooperatively engaging said rim. 4. The invention as-defined in claim 1, in which the rear'leg of said figure toy has a-swiveled sup- .said toy is moved across the floor.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which said body block is provided with a vertical strip which carries a pair of bearing blocks for em-,

bracing the reciprocating stick, said stick, strip,

' and blocks being insertable laterally into said vercollar has a beveled lower section 31 for cooperating with theedge of the cam 35 to produce the twisting action of the reciprocating stick, as. with the first form of the invention.

In the third form of the invention shown in Fig. rear supporting ball 3 l which is mounted vision 'is made of tate only around a ball wheel 39 mounted to rothe axis of a horizontal axle pin the rear flipper 38.

l In the fourth form of theinvention, shown in Fig. '7, provision is made of provided on its rear end with a swinging rear flipper 42 loosely connected therewith. The flipper 42 has a supporting ball 43 'capable of rotating around any'axis, and the rear endof the block 4| has a cylindrical vertical recess a swivel stud 45 upstanding from said rear flipper 42. The stud 45 has a'reduced upper neck 46 forming a groove within whi h passes a. horizontal crosspin 41 for holding the rear flipper in operating. position. The operation of this fourth form of the invention is similar to that ofthe first form, but in this case the rear flipper is capable of swinging in the direction of movement of the wheeled toy as it is cludes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims. Having thus fully described secure Letters Patent, is: i V

f 1. In a wheeled toy, a verticalbody block having a rear supporting section, said block having a pair of forward supporting wheels rigidly connected by a horizontal axle, a plate cam mounted on said axle and located in the centerportion of said block, said block having a vertical bore, a

stick having a ball rigidly secured'to its upper end located in said bore, the lower end of saidv stick having means for continuously cooperatively of said cam to cause said around its axis when said toy is moved across the floor.

the invention, what. is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to 44 for receiving of said block, said block .a stick having a ball rigidly secured to its upper tical bore.

6. The invention asiset forth in claim 1, in which spring means are provided for pressing said collar downwardly to aidthe force of gravity in returning said ball-carrying stick to its lowermost position during the reciprocation thereof.

7. In a wheeled toy, a vertical body block having a rear supportingsection, said block having a pair of forward supporting wheels rigidly connected by a horizontal axle, a plate cam mounted on said axle and located in the center portion having a vertical bore,

end located in said bore, the lower end of said stick havingmeans for continuously cooperatively engaging with the rim of said cam to cause said stick to reciprocate vertically and also to twist around its axis at varying speeds when said toy is moved across the floor.

8. In a Wheeled toy, a vertical body block having a'rear supporting section, said block having a pair of .forwardsupporting wheels rigidly connected by a horizontal axle, an eccentric plate cam mounted on said axle and located in the center portion of said block, said block having a vertical bore, a stick having a ball rigidly secured to its upper end located in said bore, the lower end' of said stick having means with the rim of said cam to for continuously cooperatively engaging cause said stick to reciprocate vertically. and also to twist around .its axis 7 at said toy is moved across swivel stud having a groove at its upper end,'and

varying speeds when the floor.

9. In a wheeled'toy, a vertical body block shaped to represent a seal having a rear supporting section, said block having a pair of forward supporting wheels rigidly connected by a horizontal axle, a plate cam mounted on said axle and located in the center portion of said block, said block having a vertical bore, a stick having a ball rigidly secured to its upper end located insaid bore, the lower end of said stick having means for continuously cooperatively engaging with the. rim of said cam to cause said stick to reciprocate vertically and also'to twist around its axis when said toy is moved across the fioor.. I 10. In a wheeled figure toy, a vertical body block having a rear supporting section, said secsaid rear section being separately movable on said block and connected to said block by a vertical a horizontal pin in said blockand passing through said groove to secures'aid rear section to said block. PETER MARIANI. 

